CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011 U.S. ALPINE Colby Granstrom slays gates on his way to his first career national title in the slalom. SkiRacing.comAPRIL 21, 2011 | 49

Resi, who was overjoyed to be ending the season healthy after three years of injuries. “I knew that
when he got third there was no way that I could get worse than that.”
The siblings have also topped podiums together this season at FIS races and NorAm events.
“I’m super happy and excited about where my skiing is headed,” said Seppi who, like his sister, is
also bouncing back from an injury. “It means a lot to be on the podium with Resi. I don’t mind the tough
conditions when it snows and gets chopped up; I kind of like it because it helps to get the aggression
out.”

The College Try

College racers wearing their school uniforms brought a little color and a lot of talent with them to Nationals. University of Denver senior Seppi Stiegler, who was recently crowned the NCAA GS champion and World University Games slalom champ, led the academics with a bronze medal in slalom.
Denver’s Lindsey Cone also did the Pioneers proud with a fourth-place result in the slalom, just
ahead of teammate Sterling Grant in seventh place. UVM’s Amanda McDonald and UNM’s Kate Williams also grabbed top- 15 results in 13th and 14th, respectively.
Not far from the podium in the men’s GS were Vermont’s Robby Kelley in sixth and Middlebury’s Andrew McNealus in seventh. Kelley repeated his performance in the slalom with a second sixth-place
result. UNM’s Christopher Acosta and Chriss Salbu finished 11th and 14th, respectively, in the slalom
ahead of Utah’s Jeremy Elliot in 15th.

Marco Sullivan signs autographsupon his return to the racetrackafter three months off.

Marco Rocks Again
U.S. Speed skier Marco Sullivan’s season was cut short when, on Dec. 28, he sustained a concussion during a downhill training run in Bormio, Italy. After nearly three months of doctor-enforced rest
at home in Squaw Valley, the World Cup winner was back on the boards and loving it in Winter Park,
forerunning the super G course.
“That was my first run on super G skis since I crashed in Bormio,” said Sullivan, who passed his
doctors’ impact test to return to snow four weeks earlier, and worked his way back into race gear by
jumping into the Tahoe powder. “I was a little bit nervous but it felt good.“
Sullivan’s fans were also happy to see the laidback ripper back to doing what he does best as they
lined up to get his autograph throughout the weekend.
“I had a few weeks after I got that concussion that I was in a weird place where I didn’t want to go
back to skiing,” said Sullivan. “My head was hurting and my body was telling me to chill out. It feels
really good to get back on the speed course and just have fun and realize this is still what I want to
do.”
Sullivan said he was looking forward to a full spring and summer of training.
“Our season is year round,” he said. “I’ll be training hard in the gym and then travel down south to
New Zealand and Chile. Now is the beginning of my preparation for next year.”